``The history of Black cooking is a tale of many cooks.'' This firsthand, folksy introduction to African foods--eaten by a substantial portion of the world's population, yet unfamiliar to many North Americans--finds their origins not only in Africa, but in the Caribbean islands, Brazil and inherited in the cuisine of Afro-Americans. Harris ( Hot Stuff ), a native New Yorker, argues that traditional cookery of North and South American blacks is African-derived, and provides her own appealing adaptations and hybrids of dishes. Most of the hundreds of recipes she has gathered, however, are traditional, covering everything from soup (conch chowder, tropical vichyssoise) to dessert (avocado mousse, shortening bread) and including a glossary of ingredients. In her most impressive chapter, Harris unveils a variety of main dishes combining fish and/or meat with leafy and root vegetables. On the other hand, a chapter on appetizers travels less well: ingredients are hard to come by in North America, and the preponderance of fried and fatty foods may not appeal to health-conscious cooks and diners. (June)